不少橋樑具有特色甚至是世界遺產,但我在這裡並沒有以較多的文章作介紹,唯一比較詳細的就僅有2018年介紹歐洲國家以當年歐羅巴作為主題的橋樑郵票與2019年香港及澳門的《港珠澳大橋》聯合發行郵票。去年星嘉坡、馬來西亞與澳門都有發行這個專題的郵票,就以介紹這兩套郵票的機會順便介紹發行日期較為遠古的伯利茲的橋樑郵票。
如果不計算橋樑的建築方式其實橋的用處僅僅是把兩個地方連繫在一起,這可以是一條河的兩岸、一塊陸地與一個小島等等,其實也沒有什麼可以討論的空間。但我今次介紹的橋,或者是粗暴地以泥沙堆積建成的堤道,卻是連接兩個國家甚至兩個大洲,這些連接道路不祇是交通,對文化交流也極期重要。伸延閱讀|
爭議不斷|廣深港高速鐵路香港段及港珠澳大橋
城堡+橋=古蹟|歐䍦巴2018:橋樑 澳門 嘉樂庇總督大橋
(Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho)雖然澳門在二次世界大戰時未有受到戰爭波及,但卻因為自身的地理因素及葡萄牙政府不作為,並未有隨香港及遠東各外向型城市般經濟得到蓬勃發展,甚至乎離島區的居民卻仍然依靠渡輪與澳門半島聯繫。1960年代葡國政府意識到這問題決定擬建一座大橋連繫兩地,這座初名作「澳氹大橋」的跨海鋼筋混凝土橋樑於1969年正式招標興建並在翌年動工,縱使在1974年葡國爆發「康乃馨革命」而使政局動盪,但大橋工程未受到影響如期在同年完工。1974年10月5日,
1974年大橋通車時的紀念郵票,留意大橋葡語是「Ponte Macau-Taipa」。
巧合是葡萄牙建立共和紀念日,以時任澳督嘉樂庇命名的大橋由澳督與澳門商人何賢揭幕,大橋在啟用時成為世界上最長鋼筋混凝土跨海大橋。
郵繫港澳|雖然港珠澳大橋(Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge)在2018年通車時中港澳三地已經聯合發行郵票,但澳門在2019年再度印行在《澳門新八景》通用郵票上;香港在2025年更新通用郵票時也用上港珠澳大橋,惟兩者票圖是近珠海的青洲航道橋主橋和大澳北面一段路面至東出入口人工島,兩者均在中國境內。
原來全長2.569公尺的大橋在1990年代時因澳門半島的新口岸區域填海被拆除部分變成陸地,但憑其獨特設計自當時成為現代的澳門標誌至今不變。然而大橋似乎因受到海水及風勢侵蝕老化嚴重,在西灣大橋(Ponte de Sai Van)落成通車後曾一度長時間封閉維修,今天出於安全考量僅容許公共交通及緊急車輛行駛嘉樂庇總督大橋。
半個世紀以來澳門已先後建成4條連接澳門半島和氹仔的跨海大橋,2024年10月1日,亦即嘉樂庇總督大橋50週年之際,命名為澳門大橋(Ponte Macau)的第4條大橋正式通車,惟注意的是澳門半島一邊落地點係新城A區,這個在澳門半島東面的填海區在2010年代才出現。
消失的長堤|連接氹仔與路環的路氹連貫公路(Estrada do Istmo)在1969年通車時可說是長堤的經典,道路雖把外十字門劏開卻形成新的生物多樣性環境,隨1990年代大型填海變成今天的路氹城才消失。
《嘉樂庇總督大橋啟用50週年》發行日期巧合是星期六,除時間較為緊迫之外大部分郵政分局也不營業,除了首日特別戳之外要蓋到澳門半島和氹仔兩邊連接點水坑尾和海洋花園郵政分局日戳最近的日子是10月7日,
如此一來澳門半島一邊的原圖片似乎蓋首日特別戳更為合適。
伯利茲 洛佩斯少尉國際橋
(Puente Internacional Subteniente López)橋樑或是長堤除了能夠跨過兩個都市、兩個國家甚至可以跨越兩個大洲,例如說我曾介紹過的土耳其穆罕默德二世大橋(Fatih Sultan Mehmet Köprüsü),
雖然是連接首都伊斯坦堡兩岸,但它跨過的博斯普魯斯海峽就是把歐洲大陸與亞洲大陸的分界。在中美洲小國伯利茲,她是以兩道跨河橋樑洛佩斯少尉國際橋與沒有出現在郵票上的切圖馬爾國際大橋(Puente Internacional Chac-Temal)連接廣義上北美洲最南端國家墨西哥,兩者規模雖小但意義重大,故都冠以「國際」的稱號。墨西哥係伯利茲自1981年完全獨立後早期建立關係的國家之一,至2017年兩國建立外交及友誼關係35週年時伯利茲發行了一組郵票紀念,實際上伯利茲獨立前前身英屬洪都拉斯早於1893年和墨西哥便有正式外交關係。兩枚郵票分別是早期與現今佩洛斯少尉國際橋,這條建於1964年伯墨最早期的行車邊境通道連接伯利茲聖赫勒拿(Santa Elena)和墨西哥一個在切圖馬爾(Chetumal)10千米附近的洛佩斯(Subteniente López)小鎮。在洛佩斯少尉國際橋建成之前要跨越兩地分界的翁多河便需要駁艇或船的交通工具,直至2013年洛佩斯少尉國際橋已不勝負荷在附近另建切圖馬爾國際大橋,然而這兩道跨洲大橋雖然交通甚為繁忙但除了走私客外並沒有外地人得悉兩橋的存在。
橫跨歐亞|穆罕默德二世大橋最近一次在郵票上係與蒙古聯合發行郵票,土耳其自稱是歐洲國家而蒙古是亞洲內陸國,選材非常正確。然而位於埃及的蘇彝士運河大橋(Suez Canal Bridge)也是橫跨歐亞的大橋,而且不得不說通車紀念郵票甚有趣味性。
馬來西亞.星嘉坡 新柔長堤
(Tambak Johor)連接兩國的道路我想不得不提越過馬來半島最南端柔佛海峽的新柔長堤,雖是在1924年6月28日正式開幕通車,惟早於1923年第三季已率先鋪好鐵路路軌作運輸貨物,其時馬來半島及相隔柔佛海峽的星嘉坡均屬海峽殖民地管治故堤道均沒有領土上的問題。值得注意的是這是一條「堤道」而不是「橋樑」,在新柔長堤完成之後便把柔佛海峽一分為二,船隻在第二次世界大戰前是可以在水閘通過,在戰後的重建把水閘取消,從比船隻並不可以以此航道來往南中國海和馬六甲海峽。
這幅是1950年代後期印行的明信片,不少人因這年代兩岸並未開發難以確定那邊是新山或者是兀蘭,但祇要記得鐵路路軌在右側的話前方便是新山。
建造新柔長堤係在1911年萌芽階段,因以橋樑方式橫跨柔佛海峽成本過高,便以最粗暴方法以推土得出一條長堤解決運送物資往來星嘉坡的問題。工程始於1919年並於1923年完工,1942年1月為阻止日軍從馬來半島南下,英軍把堤道炸毀,日軍雖有臨時搭建橋樑恢復運作惟至戰後殖民政府才作正式重建。1965年星嘉坡從馬來西亞獨立之後,兩國在兩邊建立關卡進行邊境管制,但另一方面兩地交通日益繁忙使長堤以至兩岸近邊境道路長期交通堵塞,除加建設施外,1998年在星嘉坡大士與馬來西亞依斯達公主城建立馬新第二通道(Laluan Kedua Malaysia-Singapura)分流交通。
星嘉坡這兩年瘋狂關閉了全國六分之一郵政局,好在郵票發行時兀蘭中心郵政局仍然幸存。
2024年兩國聯合發行郵票紀念新柔長堤100週年,這難得機會令當地集郵者在發行當日奔走長堤連接的最接近城市馬來西亞新山與星嘉坡兀蘭的郵政局。按慣例,除新山郵政總局外新山政府大部分場所在星期五休息,集郵者幸而未有出現狀況。
© 2024 Pos Malaysia Berhad
Philatelic of Birds (English subtitle)|Regions Index
2025年6月28日 星期六
橋過船頭自然直|以橋堤跨海、跨國與跨洲
編寫日期|2025/4/27
2012年8月18日 星期六
亞種總是瀕危|雙黃頭亞馬遜鸚鵡和馬仙納氏虹彩吸蜜鸚鵡
2011年8月17日 星期三
這一年的唯一|伯利茲的瀕危雀鳥
重寫日期|2026/2/1
在2007年重新玩郵票的時候,購買外國郵票的網絡比昔日變化很大,由以前被動地倚靠本地郵商購入轉而可以自己直接與世界各地郵政局聯繫並購買自己想要的郵票,這些故事我甚少在中文版網站分享。這篇翻譯及重寫自英文版的網誌介紹2009年伯利茲唯一發行的瀕危雀鳥郵票,就順道講一下從伯利茲郵政局買郵票的過程。
When I was collecting stamps again in 2007, the network for buying foreign stamps had changed a lot compared with the past. From passively relying on local dealers,The only one in the year|Endangered birds of BelizeI could directly contact post offices around the world and buy the stamps what I wanted, these stories I rarely share on this Chinese version blog.
這幅是我曾經介紹過的雙黃頭亞馬遜鸚鵡原圖片,蓋不到首日特別戳是可惜了。
This maxicard of Yellow-headed Amazon that I was shown before, it is pity that I can’t obtain first day special cancellation.
This translated and rewritten blog originally from the English version which introduces the only set of stamps features endangered bird issued in Belize in 2009, meanwhile write about the process of buying stamps from the Belize Post Office.
1975年伯利茲與西印度群島英語系國家合組板球隊並贏得當年的世界盃冠軍,郵票上地圖最左邊在美洲大陸的是伯利茲。
In 1975, Belize teamed up with English-speaking countries in the West Indies and won the World Cup this year, the celebrate stamp shown Belize is on the far left of the map.
With the advent of the internet era, the philatelic services of most European post offices can use e-mail to negotiate orders and even payment transactions after Millennium, which is much more convenient than many letters and postal orders in the past. Of course, some people will worry about the security risks of credit cards. In fact, although there will be such considers, it is more freedom than buying from local dealers who do not sell up-today stamps or sell to regular customers; the cost will also be lower than those local dealers and through banks or postal orders.However, since the beginning of sending letters to these forgein philatelic departments, some remote countries do not have such updated systems, so only can buy stamps in the traditional way such situation.
隨著網絡時代的來臨,大部分歐洲國家郵政局的集郵服務在千禧年後都可以用電郵來洽談訂單甚至是付款交易,遠比昔日需要多次以書信來往及郵政𣾀款服務快捷方便,當然有人會擔心信用卡的保安風險,事實上雖然是會有此顧濾,但總比靠沒打算入貨或只賣熟客的本地郵商來得更有自由度;成本亦會比本地郵商或經銀行或郵政滙款低一截。然而我在向各地集郵部門敲門之初,有些比較偏門的國家未有此等系統,往往便要傳統方式購買郵票了。
位於中美洲最北的伯利茲係中南美洲大陸少數以英語作官方語言國家,1981年獨立建國以前為英國殖民地,在1862至1964年間稱作英屬洪都拉斯(British Honduras),然後自治時期改稱作伯利茲直至獨立後名稱一直使用。他們的郵票也在1965年開始改印伯利茲作名稱惟仍印上皇室徽號,故此直到現在不論有沒有皇室徽號的伯利茲郵票都有效作郵資使用。對香港人而言,這地方比起鄰近的墨西哥的大名差天拱地,在上世紀八十年代有曾開放移民給香港人,當然美其名是移民實則是售賣護照賺取外匯,事實上當地的經濟不如理想,國內不少地方仍是未開發的森林或是農業社會,惟靠近加勒比海的區域因具堡礁地貌則有旅遊業支撐。
伯利茲自自治開始受惠於集郵風氣每年都發行不少郵票,有些是因郵票印刷商連帶關係而發行例如迪士尼卡通系列與自己國家沒甚麼關係的郵票,在獨立後除伯利茲本身外更有分支伯利茲堡礁(Cayes of Belize)發行郵票,這些郵票被海量推往歐美的集郵巿場,而被有心人吹噓作商業郵票並未能實際在郵政服務中使用,好景不常這個副綫僅在1984至86年間維持兩年便結束,連帶與印刷廠商的不尋常關係亦一併結束而回歸郵票純粹在當地售賣作郵寄用途;例外的當然有大型郵商作批發銷售,而發行次數也巨減至每年一至兩套左右。
用以寄遞郵票的回郵信封是貼上昔日伯利茲堡礁郵票,
然而所謂的寄遞其實就祇有雙黃頭亞馬遜鸚鵡那一枚郵票。
The stamped envelope used to return stamps is affixed with the former Cayes of Belize stamps, but so-called this delivery is actually only Yellow-headed Amazon one.
在郵票發行回歸隱世其經濟活動也是非常隱世,甚至是十分原始,據稱當地至2010年代仍然有以物易物的情況,但大多數情況都是使用現金,不難想像美金在當地也是普遍使用因而伯利茲元如港元一樣和美金掛鈎實行聯繫滙率。這個情況對購買郵票就十分易辦了,因為只需要寄遞美元鈔票至郵政局便不用理會𣿬率的波動,保證如書信來往溝通時的數量相對。2009年伯利茲發行了他們唯一一套郵票,一共5枚繪畫當地瀕危雀鳥,雖然僅得5枚但大如猛禽細至嗚禽都有被挑選,據查是郵政局邀請本土觀鳥家Peter Herrera挑選。我嘗試以電郵查詢購買狀況,回覆稱只能寄遞美鈔支付郵票費用,這我就以掛號方式把美鈔及貼上伯利茲堡礁時期郵票回郵信封一併寄至郵政局,這除了「節省」回程郵費外,實際我是想收集貼有伯利茲岩礁時期郵票的信封,如果能夠證明可以使用的話那純粹商業郵票不能使用之說不攻自破了。
郵寄製作原圖片的原來信封我有請她一併退回,可見這紀錄了郵遞過程耗時近3個月。
The orginal Hongkong envvelope is returned by philatelic department, which shows that it takes nearly 3 months to process the mail.
香港郵寄信件至伯利茲需時3個月,掛號郵件至美國後便不會再有追蹤顯示,這和美國的郵遞政策頗有關係:美國和加拿大郵政部門認為掛號郵件等同內有貴重物件,開放追蹤等於公開財物流動狀態而給有心人有機可乘;相反從中南美洲抵達美國中轉的掛號郵件也有機會被當成普通信函處理,這樣狀況令人非常無奈。但伯利茲郵政局也是異常可靠,數次的經驗也沒什麼損失,管理集郵部的Roxanna Williams更是在此崗位十多年,至2022年有朋友到訪伯利茲郵政總局仍然見到她兼顧這個一人部門。
這次我把5枚郵票製成2個信封和1幅原圖片,原圖片上的雙黃頭亞馬遜鸚鵡(Amazona oratrix belizensis)我在另文介紹了,下面我會非常簡單介紹餘下4種。
Belize, located in the northernmost part of Central America, is one of the few countries in Central and South America where English is the official language. It was a British colony before the establishment of independence in 1981, before it was self-government and named British Honduras from 1862 to 1964. Their stamps also began to be the name of Beliz in 1965, but still printed with the royal emblem during self-government period, thus until now all the Beliz stamps after 1965 are valid for postage. For Hongkongers, this place is far behind the name of neighbouring Mexico. In the 1980s, immigration was opened to Hongkongers but the truth is that immigrants is actually selling passports to earn foreign exchange. In fact, the local economy is not as good as ideal, and many places in inland areas are still undeveloped forests or agricultural societies, only the area close to the Caribbean Sea is supported by tourism due to its barrier reef landform.
Belize has benefitted from the philatelic atmosphere since its self-government period, many stamps have been issued every year. Some of them are issued cooperation with stamp printers such as the Disney or no relationship to its country. After independence, beside of Belize itself, there were also issued stamps with a name ‘Cayes of Belize’, these stamps were massively pushed to the philatelic markets in Europe and the United States, and were boasted as commercial stamps and failed to be used in the postal service. However the ‘Cayes of Belize’ stamps issued only two years from 1984 to 1986, and the cooperation with stamp printers also ended, Belize stamps returned to local sale and purely for postal purposes, the exception is large purhase for wholesale sales, and the number of issue was reduced to about one or two sets per year.
When the stamp issue policy returned to seclusion, its economic activities are also very reclusive and primitive. It is said that there was still a situation of barter in there until 2010s, but in most cases cash is used. It is not difficult to imagine that the US dollar is also widely used in the local area, so the Belizean dollar is linked to the US dollar like the Hong Kong dollar with Linked Exchange Rate System. Thus this situation is very easy to buy stamps because you only need to send US dollar notes to the post office without paying attention to the fluctuation of the exchange rate, to ensure that the number of letters communicates is relative. In 2009, Belize issued their only set of stamps this year, with a total of 5 local endangered birds. Although only 5 were obtained were selected as from songbird to large as birds of prey. These birds selected by local bird watcher Peter Herrera, who invited by the post office. I tried to inquire about the purchase status by e-mail, and replied that only US dollars could be sent to pay for the stamps.Then I sent the US banknotes with a stamped with ‘Cayes of Belize’ stamps return envelope to post office by registered mail. It is not only ‘saving’ the return postage, and I actually can collect envelopes with ‘Cayes of Belize’ stamps, it can be proved that those stamps still can be used.
1964年伯利茲實行自治,在1962年發行的雀鳥郵票加蓋「自治政府 1964」作過渡性質。
An overprinted stamps set issued in 1964 for transitional period, the bird stamps set originally issued in 1962.
It takes 3 months to mail letters from Hong Kong to Belize, and there will be no more tracking after the registered mail arrives in the United States. This situation is related to the postal policy of the United States snd Canada: the postal departments believe that registered mail is equivalent to valuable objects in it, and tracking is equivalent to open the valuable status to public, giving those who have a chance to take advantage of it; on the contrary,registered mails from Central and South America arriving in the United States also has same situation and have chance to be treated as ordinary letters. Fortunatly the Belize Post Office is also extremely reliable, and experiences has not been lost several times. Roxanna Williams, who manages the Philatelic Department, has been in this position for more than 10 years, a friend visited the Belize Post Office and still saw her taking care of this one-person department in 2002.
郵政局發行的首日封,這些集郵品多數供應海外訂戶。The official first day cover mostly purchased by overseas customers.
These 5 stamps are affixed to 2 envelopes and 1 maxicard. The Yellow-headed Amazon maxicard introduced in another article. Below I will introduce the remaining 4 species very briefly.伸延閱讀|
亞種總是瀕危|雙黃頭亞馬遜鸚鵡和馬仙納氏虹彩吸蜜鸚鵡
郵票是難得的繪畫得很精美,而且印刷也算有水準,據查是加拿大Ashton-Potter印刷,2000年代不少英聯邦國家以至香港都曾經在這裡印刷郵票,這套郵票其餘4枚郵票分別是近危的南美洲猛禽角雕(Harpia harpyja),伯利茲外的墨西哥灣是她們活動最北的地方;綠旋蜜雀(Chlorophanes spiza),無危級別的寶石藍色的中南美洲留鳥;與綠旋蜜雀同樣生活在中南美洲森林邊緣地帶的灰藍食籽雀(Sporophila schistacea),也是無危級別。最後是大鳳冠雉(Crax rubra),這中型的近危級別雀鳥僅在中美洲生活。The stamps are beautifully illustrated and the printing in high quality, according to reports, they were printed by Ashton-Potter in Canada. In the 2000s, many Commonwealth countries and even Hong Kong used to print stamps here. The remaining four stamps in this set are Harpy Eagle, it is the endangered South American raptor, The Gulf of Mexico off Belize is the northernmost place it habits; Green Honeycreeper, a least concern sapphire blue resident bird of Central and South America; also Slate-coloured Seedeater, as well as Green Honeycreeper it habits on the edge of forests in Central and South America. The last one is Great Curassow, this medium-sized near-threatened bird is found only in Central America.




































